@MYOS1634 Thanks for commenting! You definitely put things into perspective right there haha.
@MYOS1634 - Without knowing the numbers, and the details of nerdmaster’s family’s financial situation, no one should be telling nerdmaster to take Binghampton’s offer. Yes, Binghampton has a lot going for it, but if nerdmaster would need more than the standard federal loans to make it work, then no, Binghampton would almost certainly not be a good choice.
@nerdmaster - Can you post the financial data here? That would bring a valuable perspective to the discussion.
I agree with @happymomof1. Furthermore, nobody on CC should be calling another student’s potential school a “joke.” That is insulting. If Binghamton is not affordable, take the Hunter offer and run with it. I believe that almost any school in this country can give somebody an education and the ability to succeed, and Hunter is no exception.
As a side note, I went to SUNY and CUNY and have had a very successful career spanning almost 30 years. I worked in major NYC teaching hospitals, trained young doctors in the emergency room on specific techniques, participated in panels, and presented at workshops throughout the country through my professional organization. Not bad for SUNY/CUNY. I am not a nurse.
I believe that OP said that Binghamton is affordable, but s/he was worried about not taking a “free tuition” offer. If that’s a true characterization of the situation, then affordable Binghamton trumps free tuition Hunter. Obviously, if Binghamton is not affordable, free tuition Hunter is better than parental debt for Bing, there’s not much to discuss…
@happymomof1 Hi! My current financial status for Bing is 7k per year. My parents agreed to loan half of it for me and I’ll be stuck with the other half and other fees I’ll be needing.
So, you’ll need to work for $3,500? is that for direct costs or total COA? (I assume the $3,500 are AFTER federal loans have been deducted from total costs).
@twogirls well if the school’s 4-year grad rate is 22%, then perhaps I’m not wrong…
@MYOS1634 yep!
I think that Binghamton for 3.5K vs. free tuition at Hunter, the choice is clearly Bing.
In any case, it looks doable to me, and not that expensive even if it does require you to work. Congratulations!
I agree that this student should attend Binghamton since it appears to be affordable.
@LBad96 Hunter’s average SAT math is a 601, reading is a 576.
@twogirls then what happens to those students who can’t graduate? Obviously some fall through the cracks.
My guess is that some students do not graduate, while others take longer than 4 years for a variety of reasons.
I would like to point out that the CUNY system is made up of commuter schools. Lots of the students that go to CUNY are working their way through college and are attending part-time. That is the main reason CUNY schools have such a low 4 year graduation rate. Not everyone can afford to live on campus and go to school full time without a care in the world. Not everyone has the bank of mommy and daddy to fall back on. CUNY cater to those types of students. So for that reason alone makes them far from a joke IMO.
@sensation723 thank you for putting into words what I was trying to express.
They’re still not good at all academically. Baruch is okay, but outside of that…
SUNY BING - JMHO. Best of luck!
@nerdmaster - What do you mean by “loan it for me”?
Are your parents offering to co-sign a loan for $3,500 each year in addition to the $5,500 freshman year federal loan (and higher limit federal loans in following years)? If so, you could be pushing over the limit of what is reasonably easy to pay back after graduation.
You can earn $3,500 if you start working part time now, and move to full time work after graduation - and save it all.
@twogirls There’s really no reason to take longer than 4 years. Honestly, I don’t know that many people who graduated late. My parents made it very clear to me that I had 4 years to finish my degree. I started college in the Fall of 2013, transferred after 2 years and lost a lot of credits setting me back to sophomore status. However, I loaded, took extra classes at the local community college, took summer classes, and I am now set to graduate in the Spring of 2017 again, just like I was at my old college.
Students need to make it their priority to finish on time. Taking longer than 4 years is inconsiderate to whoever’s paying for their education whether it’s their family, an employer, or the school. And it’s not difficult at all. Had I not transferred, I’d probably be graduating early.
@clockadd some students take longer than four years to graduate because they attend part time.